科學家：走路慢，老得快? 嚇得寶寶拔腿就跑

Slow walking and ageing

走路慢,老得快?

Getting old might not be something that’s yet to cross your mind. But ageing is inevitably going to get the better of us one day, so it’s something I’m sure we’d all like control. It would be great to have a long, healthy and happy life, and that’s why scientists are constantly seeking out evidence that will show us what we need to do to achieve longevity.

變老可能是你想都沒想過的事情。但總有一天，我們都會變老，所以我相信我們都希望能控制衰老。擁有一個長久、健康和幸福的生活是很好的，這就是為什么科學家們一直在尋找證據(jù)，告訴我們?nèi)绾尾拍荛L壽。

We all know that regular exercise is good for us. In recent years we’ve been told to aim to walk 10,000 steps a day to remain healthy, although other advice to do three brisk 10-minute walks a day is thought to be even more effective. But the latest piece of research might put a spring in your step if you’re someone who walks at a fast pace. That’s because, according to scientists, the speed at which people walk in their 40s is a sign of how much their brains, as well as their bodies, are ageing.

我們都知道經(jīng)常鍛煉對身體有好處。近年來，我們被告知每天要走一萬步來保持健康，盡管其他的建議認為每天三次10分鐘的快步走更有效。但是如果你是一個走路很快的人，最新的一項研究可能會讓你的步伐輕快起來?？茖W家認為，這是因為人們在40多歲時走路的速度是大腦和身體衰老程度的標志。

The BBC’s Philippa Roxby writes that tests on 1,000 people from New Zealand born in the 1970s found that slower walkers tended to show signs of "accelerated ageing". Their lungs, teeth and immune systems were in worse shape than those who walked faster. And to add insult to injury, the study found not only did slower walkers' bodies age more quickly, their faces looked older and they had smaller brains. Professor Terrie E Moffitt, lead author of the study, told the BBC: "[it] found that a slow walk is a problem sign decades before old age."

英國廣播公司的菲利帕·羅克斯比寫道，對1000名出生于20世紀70年代的新西蘭人進行的測試發(fā)現(xiàn)，走得慢的人往往有“加速衰老”的跡象。他們的肺、牙齒和免疫系統(tǒng)比那些走得快的人更糟糕。更糟糕的是，研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，走得慢的人不僅身體衰老得更快，他們的臉看起來更老，他們的大腦也更小。特里·莫菲特教授是這項研究的主要作者，他告訴BBC:“研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，走路慢是人老前幾十年就會出現(xiàn)的問題。”

This might be seen as a wake-up call for people with a slower gait who might feel it’s time to work out and get fitter. But it might be too late; researchers writing in JAMA Network Open say they were able to predict the walking speed of 45-year-olds using the results of intelligence, language and motor skills tests from when they were aged three. They also suggest that even in early life, there are signs showing which people will go on to have a healthier life.

對于步態(tài)較慢的人來說，這可能是一個警鐘，他們可能覺得到了該鍛煉身體的時候了。但可能為時已晚;研究人員在《美國醫(yī)學會雜志》(JAMA)網(wǎng)絡(luò)版《開放》(Open)上發(fā)表文章稱，他們能夠利用從三歲開始的智力、語言和運動技能測試結(jié)果，預測45歲人群的步行速度。他們還指出，即使在早期生活中，也有跡象表明哪些人會過上更健康的生活。

So, what’s the point of knowing that a slower walking pace might mean a smaller brain? Well, researchers say measuring walking speed at a younger age, and understanding what this might mean, could be a way of testing treatments to slow human ageing. This might help us make lifestyle changes while we’re still young and healthy. Any steps we can take to prolong a good mental and physical state is a no brainer!

那么，知道走路速度慢可能意味著大腦更小又有什么意義呢?研究人員表示，在年輕時測量行走速度，并理解這可能意味著什么，可能是測試延緩人類衰老治療方法的一種方式。這可能會幫助我們在年輕健康的時候改變生活習慣。我們可以采取任何措施來延長良好的精神和身體狀態(tài)都是可以理解的!